Bill Gates took the opportunity during his keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) (see our CES coverage) to unveil the latest Microsoft consumer product called the Windows Home Server. The Windows Home Server is not stand alone software or a new Microsoft appliance; it's the name of new technology that will power appliances offered by third parties.

The technology will allow households with multiple computers to access centralized content and offer the ability to back up home PCs and connect to printers and other digital devices. The technology can also be used to share content outside the home over the Internet via a Windows Live Internet address. Besides just PCs, Windows Home Server content is also available through a network connected Xbox 360 and any other Windows Media Connect-support device.

HP will be one of the first manufacturers to launch an appliance using the Windows Home Server technology. The HP MediaSmart Server is expected later this year. AMD is also offering a reference design platform, which uses Windows Home Server called the AMS Live! Home Media Server.

BRIAN'S OPINION
This is a slick little way for Microsoft to put its server technology into the home. It's not smart for Microsoft to push even a bastardized version of its server software to consumers. First, it would probably be too expensive, and second, it would probably not be that user friendly. It does make perfect sense to bake it into network appliances, though.

It's not too surprising that HP will be one of the first to offer a network appliance using the Windows Home Server technology. After all, HP and Microsoft announced a pretty extensive agreement back in December for what they call the People-Ready business. It makes sense their partnership would extend into consumer products as well.

Microsoft is doing a good job of marketing a variety of home products that communicate well with one another. You have to hand it to Microsoft. It's pretty slick when you can use your Xbox 360 game console to access digital media content on your home network.

USER COMMENTS 8 comment(s)

More misery from Microsoft(11:57am EST Tue Jan 09 2007)I have had a look at some of the background material and it looks like your usual microsoft stitch up. you have to use xp sp2 or vista, it does not mention anything else. plus all us server admins will hate the thing as it will try to be intelligent and we will be expected to fix it for free for our friends and family. bet we don't know half of it yet!

Another M$ POS until proven otherwise.

PS – Am I the only one p1ssed off with the amount of adverts on this site nowadays?

Happy new geek year everyone - by llort

Only reason I bought the 360…(12:33pm EST Tue Jan 09 2007)Using the 360 as a media center extender is great. (aside from a bit of cooling fan noise).

But, I'm not sure what else really needs Windows on it… Maybe the fridge would be cool with wireless internet and some cameras… - by rayman

I agree, it sounds like a hacked-up version of desktop Windows (which, as everyone knows, is already a server). Who wants to bet there's a 10-user connection limit? - by Jarink

How 'bout this. . . (6:01pm EST Tue Jan 09 2007)Just set up an Ubuntu Linux server with Samba file-sharing. It's not that hard, it's cheap, and has no connection limits. Connect all the Windows computers to it that you want, and have a ball! - by Donnie

Donnie(9:37pm EST Tue Jan 09 2007)If it's not that hard and so cheap, then why does no hardware manufacturer offer a similar solution and capitalize on a market that could probably bear a price point high enough to earn it very cushy margins? Probably because the UI experience is for the geek-minded of the world and not the mass market. Maybe you should round up some UI-savvy friends and put a pretty face on your open-source solution and put it in a pretty box and sell the concept to a company that makes similar products looking to find a break into the home market? Why just complain that your solution is better and the evil MS sucks because the product that they are introducing – that you haven't even seen yet – doesn't have the same list of pros and cons? Just know that you'll be a petty cheeto-eating keyboard jockey for as long as you don't do something positive, and Microsoft will remain a multi-billion dollar corporation. - by procapitalist

unnecessary…(10:02pm EST Tue Jan 09 2007)jeez procap, he was just offering an alternative solution… no need to lay into him so hard, kind of “petty” if you ask me.

As for the server… I guess you'll need something to tie it all together, so why not? - by The_Real_Mark